A 14-year-old boy named Davi Nunes Moreira was rushed to a local hospital in Planalto, Brazil after he started feeling ill. Unfortunately, Davi went into septic shock and tragically died at the hospital. Reportedly, moments before he died, he told doctors he went to a chemist to mix a butterfly's remains with water and injected the mix afterward.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Before he was rushed to a hospital, Davi began vomiting and limping, according to the Daily Mail. When questioned, Davi told his father that he had hurt himself while playing. However, after Davi told doctors he had injected himself, his father would later find the syringe he used under his son's pillow, according to local media. While at the hospital, on Wednesday, February 12, Davi went into septic shock and died.
Although Davi denied it before he died, many are speculating on the circumstances of his death, claiming he had been participating in an online challenge or experiment.
"This generation is complicated and needs a lot of care. They believe in lots of things online, challenges, videos. Rest in peace, how his family must be suffering," online user Gabriel Moreth wrote, according to The Mirror. Similarly, user Valderiza Guedes said: "They could do an investigation on his social media networks. Some of the things you see online are madness and spine-chilling."
Toxic Butterflies
Regarding the possibility of toxic fluids belonging to a crushed-up butterfly, Professor Marcelo Duarte, director of Sao Paulo University's Zoology Museum, opted to be cautious.
"Butterflies have a complex biology," Duarte said. "And the fluids present in their bodies have not been studied in depth in terms of their toxicity to humans."
Davi Nunes Moreira did not specify what type of butterfly he chose to combine with water in his fatal injection. The Daily Mail mentions Monarch butterflies, as they contain poisonous compounds called cardenolides. These are harmful to predators such as birds, but they are not considered poisonous to humans.
A local police spokesman confirmed that authorities are investigating Davi Nunes Moreira's death. "The autopsy results will help clarify the cause of death," the spokesman said. "The investigation is designed to clear up what happened."
